Protect Your Home from Winter Damage: New Bedford Home Insurance
Finding out how others got into a scenario where something horrible occurred to them might often be the greatest approach to prevent having a negative experience yourself. Your New Bedford insurance representative is eager to provide you the most recent advice and information on the most typical Massachusetts homeowners insurance claims that occur throughout the winter. We’re hoping you’ll adjust appropriately so you don’t end up like another seasonal statistic.
Go Over Your Homeowners Insurance Policy
Although New Bedford home insurance is meant to safeguard your investment and everything in it, there are steps you can take to avoid issues before they arise. To ensure that you have adequate coverage to pay for repairs or replacements in an emergency, it is advisable to schedule a meeting with your agent to go over your New Bedford house insurance policy. Make sure that everything is current and up-to-date to ensure that you will be fully protected in the event of a claim.
The Insurance Information Institute reports that compared to only two decades ago, the percentage of claims filed for winter-related occurrences has increased in recent years. Make sure you take the required precautions to safeguard your house with a comprehensive homeowners insurance policy that is intended to protect your house and possessions from damage.
Prevention is the Key to Safeguarding Your Home
Make a to-do list for each season so you can minimize the likelihood of needing to submit a claim by carrying out necessary inspections, making repairs, and maintaining vital systems, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, insulation, roofing, and more. Many of the claims described below may have been avoidable, even if there are some circumstances like weather-related damage that are beyond of your control.
Frozen Pipes and Hailstorms
Research indicates that the most common source of water damage to houses in the United States is frozen pipes. Though it would seem like it would be caused by hurricanes, fires, or other natural disasters, frozen pipes are a major mishap waiting to happen. New Bedford house insurance brokers deal with hail damage on a yearly basis, however certain states are more prone to hail problems than others. Vehicles, roofs, and other personal property can sustain expensive damage. Make careful to check for damage to your roof or have it examined after a hailstorm.
Windstorms, Snow, and Ice
Although windstorms may cause tremendous damage at any time of year, winter windstorms are by far the most frequent occurrences of this kind of damage. Even while unfastened shutters, gutters, and shingles might be on your mind during a windstorm, other personal property items can also cause significant problems. With sufficient force, outdoor furniture, kid’s play things, and trees may all be turned into weapons of mass devastation. Seasonal snow and ice is something that most people in Southeastern Massachusetts are all too familiar with. When tiny snowflakes accumulate and destroy your roof, deck, gutters, trees, and storage shed, they may appear innocuous at first. If you’re lucky, ice dams and other drainage problems can cause damage worth thousands of dollars.
Protect Your House with Quality Insurance
Not all damage brought on by winter weather and circumstances is covered by your home insurance policy in Massachusetts. Discuss your coverage for and limitations on your home insurance policy with your insurance agent in New Bedford. You have two options for defending yourself in the wintertime: raise your New Bedford house insurance coverage and take preventative measures to shield your house from typical winter damage claims. Winter damage may strike without warning and leave you short on alternatives. The data is unmistakable: around 15% of homeowners with insurance will submit a claim annually. Every year, hail or wind damage will affect one out of every thirty covered homes, while frozen pipes will cause water damage to about one out of every fifty-five insured properties.
Drain and disconnect any outside hoses, as well as the sprinkler supply lines, to avoid frozen pipes. All of your pipes that are situated in cold regions, such as crawl spaces, garages, basements, and attics, should be insulated. For further protection, you can use heat tape or pipe sleeves on some of the more susceptible pipes. When you leave your house, make sure your garage doors are closed and your thermostat is at a minimum of 55 degrees. Every autumn, check your roof and fix any damage to minimize hail damage. Use hail-resistant roofing materials if hail damage occurs frequently where you live, and don’t forget to register any associated claims as soon as possible. Insulate your home as much as possible to keep heat from escaping through the roof in order to prevent ice dams. Think about working with a pro to ensure you do it correctly.
Home Insurance Policy in Massachusetts
Call Borden Insurance at 508-999-3636 to find out more about house insurance in New Bedford and the surrounding region. We can help you obtain the coverage you require to safeguard your property, or we can put you in touch with a New Bedford insurance agent who can address any concerns you may have regarding homeowners insurance policies in Massachusetts.